Shadow Assassins

A bloodbath raged through the serene landscape of Assam, India, during the late 90s and early years of the millennium. Several decapitated bodies were found scattered across the countryside, by secret
assassins, spreading a reign of terror. This carnage was thought to be in response to a banned terrorist organisation, ULFA, who held Assam hostage for the better part of the century. Families
and friends of this terrorist group were identified and mercilessly killed. Any suspected links, whether proved or otherwise, would lead to death. Their bodies and body parts scattered like seasoning across the lush green fields of Assam.
Munin is a young Assamese boy completing his graduation in Pune. Home for his vacations, he is in the middle of his dinner when a few masked men drag him away for questioning. Munin’s
brother Mridul is part of the banned terrorist group ULFA, and these men want to know his whereabouts. Munin is clueless. Neither he nor his family, consisting of his mother, sister, elder
brother and his wife and son, have heard from Mridul for a long time. The men are not convinced. They finally let him go but with a warning that if his brother doesn’t surrender soon, there will be consequences. A shadow of fear and gloom descends on Munin’s family. They decide to send Munin back to Pune to pursue his studies. Munin though reluctant to leave his family in such a situation, gives in to his elder brother’s wishes. He bids adieu to his family and his girlfriend Rimli, who too aspires to join Munin in Pune, to pursue further studies. She too wants to escape from this madness of senseless violence unleashed on common people in Assam.
The night after Munin leaves for Pune, some unknown masked men with machine guns, barge into their family house, in the middle of the night. They relentlessly fire, killing everyone present.
Once Munin’s entire family is dead, they hurriedly escape, leaving behind young Misul, Munin’s nephew, shivering and whimpering in grief, behind a couch. The miscreants then reach Rimli’s house in the town looking for Munin. They shoot Rimli point-blank, after they fail to find Munin. Munin’s roommate Rishab receives a mysterious phone call in Pune asking him to send Munin
back to his hometown urgently. Munin anticipates some tragedy is awaiting him, but he could not have imagined its depth till he reaches his blood soaked home.
When cities witness violence, there is still a hope that it can be contained, but when the roots of a land, its green pastures, picturesque villages and gurgling rivers echo with the painful cries of the innocent, whose destinies are painted red with senseless
violence, the backlash becomes like the curse of Sisyphus, unending, unrelenting, unproductive.
Violence begets more violence and like hundreds of others, Munin’s and his nephew Misul’s life too becomes about revenge. Munin’s room mate and friend Rishab is the unwilling witness of the black hole that his friend gets sucked into.